Tag: doubt

Trust in His Love

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love… ~ 1 John 4:16

Do you ever struggle with doubt? It can manifest itself in many different forms. It could be doubt about a decision that you’ve made, uncertainty about the direction of a relationship, or a lack of confidence in yourself as a person.

I struggle with doubt. For years I fought the temptation to doubt my salvation. Horrible obsessive thoughts and crippling anxiety made the situation worse. Satan twisted Scripture in my mind, and pushed me to focus on myself instead of Jesus – the author and perfector of my faith.

In His goodness, God delivered me from this stronghold. He helped me to rest in Him and His work on the cross for my salvation. He helped me to realize that He started a work in me and that He will bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6). It can still be a struggle at times, but it does not dominate my life like it used to. Praise Him!

But uncertainty about my salvation was not the end of my struggle with doubt. More recently I’ve felt like my Abba Father has been far from me. I couldn’t hear Him speaking to me when I read the Bible or prayed. I knew He was there, I just couldn’t feel His presence. It was a difficult time.

One day during my devotions I came across a familiar Scripture verse, but in a different Bible translation: “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love” 1 John 4:16 NLT. I began to see this verse in a different light. God spoke to me through His Word.

I didn’t need to doubt His love for me! Yes, at that point in time, it felt like God was absent from my life. But in truth He wasn’t far from me. He was right there beside me! His sacrificial death for me on the cross proved His great love for me. I could know it with certainty (even if I didn’t feel it), and could TRUST in His love. God helped me to replace my worries with His truth and enabled me to rest in my Savior’s arms.

Do you ever doubt God’s love for you? Has He ever felt far away and seemingly absent from your life? Please know that He is not! God’s children never have to doubt His affection for them. Look to the cross. Look to His Word. Ask for the Lord’s help to let go of the doubts and fears and to rest in His love. You will be glad you did!

Living With Doubt…and the Words I Need to Hear

I’ve struggled with doubt for as long as I can remember.

At first I struggled with doubt about my salvation/my relationship with God. I prayed over and over again to ask Jesus to come into my life, but then I questioned if I had prayed “correctly.” Ironically, after this uncertainty, I would worry that I had relied on “works” to save me instead of God (by trying to pray in a “perfect” manner). Needless to say, there were many times when these thoughts induced a frenzy of anxiety and fear – often coupled with headaches and tears.

Thankfully, I don’t struggle with this particular doubt any longer, as I have realized that God isn’t like that. He doesn’t require perfection from me. He wants me to trust Him and rely on Him.

Did that make any sense? Have you ever had thoughts similar to this? (It’s okay to think “no”) 😉

I know that a lot of it is my Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The OCD is what ignites the insatiable desire to perform tasks “perfectly” and to think “correctly.” But I also know that this isn’t what is required of me. I just need a way to switch over from my OCD thoughts to healthy thoughts.

What thoughts does God want me to think on when I’m feeling doubtful and perfectionistic? What are the words that I need to hear and believe?

  1. I am loved (John 3:16).
  2. I am strong in God’s strength (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
  3. I am forgiven (1 John 1:9).
  4. I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).
  5. I am unique (Isaiah 64:8).
  6. I am skilled (1 Peter 4:10).
  7. I have the ability to accomplish everything God has called me to do. (Philippians 4:13).
  8. I am enough (1 Corinthians 3:16).

These are just a few affirmations that I want to remember when I’m struggling with doubt. And I still do struggle with it. I doubt my abilities, I doubt my worth, I doubt the quality of tasks that I complete – to name a few.

But I have to remind myself of the truth – let it wash over my mind. God is speaking the words I long to hear…I just need to listen. ❤

P.S. Thank you for reading…I know that my struggles are a little strange, but I wanted to be open and honest about them in the hopes that I can be of help to someone else.

The Fullness of His Grace

Close-up of a crepe myrtle tree in our backyard. :-)
Close-up of a crepe myrtle tree in our backyard.

Why does God bless us so richly? This was the question I was asking myself as I drove home from the supermarket a short time ago. The past few days, God has been pouring out one blessing on me after another, and I am so grateful.

Yesterday, I received a letter in the mail informing me that I had been approved for a month of temporary disability. This was a process that I had been going through and praying about for the past several months. To be truthful, I really wasn’t sure if I was going to get approved. Finances have been very tight, and I have to admit, I was doubtful that God would provide. But He did, out of the fullness of His grace.

A second blessing entailed my having a conversation with our car insurance agent, which led to a discount in our rate of about one thousand dollars for the year. I was so thankful for God’s provision!

Then today, I went to the supermarket armed with two fifteen dollar gift cards from my Mom and several coupons. I wasn’t even keeping track of how much I was spending–I just grabbed what I needed and tried to be mindful of using the store discounts and the coupons that I had acquired. When I got up to the register and checked out, my bill–for everything that I had needed–came to under thirty dollars. So I was able to use the gift cards and still have a little left over!

I know these may seem like small things, but for me, I see God’s hand in these events. So often I focus on the negative circumstances or the difficult situations that I face–but today all I could do was praise God for His goodness.

Thank You, my loving heavenly Father!!!

From the fullness of his grace

we have all received

one blessing after another.

~John 1:16 (NIV)